23 June 2001

remembering Mr Perkins

I was at school when Mr Perkins started at Peter Symonds, [didn't he have a nickname?]. He took over from Cissy Cass as I remember. He seemed rather revolutionary and modern. Up till that time there was music, which was classical, and there was the rest, which was not worthy of consideration, or so the masters used to tell us. I think that it must have been about 1948, just after the war, and he introduced us to swing music in the form of Glenn Miller and  Kathleen Ferrier's work. My enjoyment of her singing was passed on to my own children.
Our only album photo is of his last day! Has anyone got a younger one?
regards
jim wishart, list manager 
 

5 comments:

  1. Mr. Perkins (was it 'Pinky'?) taught music while I was at PS.  At the end of term, we were allowed to bring in any record we liked and he would play it.  Needless to say, some of us tried to bring in the most controversial records - Rolling Stones, Animals and the like - just to get him going!

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  2. I believe Mr Perkins was also choir master at a church on North Walls (St Peters or St Pauls?) I was in the choir for 1 week but left after being 'reprimanded' for leaving the choir stalls in the wrong order - my dedication was obviously not that great. I remember well the end of term record sessions, a great opportunity to get our own back!

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  3. I never went to Peter Symonds but my Dad and two uncles did and I am in fact Mr Perkins' granddaughter.  He was choir master at Holy Trinity Church in North Walls, he started at the school in 1950 and my Dad is not aware of any nickname for him.  Maybe my dad wasn't party to it!   I don't remember ever being able to ruffle my granddads cool demeanour apart from when playing him the record popcorn and informing him that the noise at the end was probably a fart!  Perhaps you should have tried that record instead of the rolling stones!   My granddad died in September 1994 and his ashes are interred in Holy Trinity Churchyard.    

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  4. I remember "Singing" class in the armoury where Mr. Strange accompanied us through "Who is Sylvia" and "Rolling down to Rio". When Mr. Perkins joined I learned to appreciate music with the aid of  high fidelity recordings of the New world Symphomy and Air Conditioned Jungle played on a Decca "Black Box".   Peter

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  5. message received by jim wishart and posted with Lisette's consent   Dear Jim   My Grandma (Mr Perkins widow) visited this weekend and we spent some time 'surfing' through the website.  She was tickled to see my Grandad in the photos.  Inspired by this she went home and looked through her photos.  The four she sent me are now posted on the website.  As you can imagine musical instruments play a large part.  I have tried to put all information on the back in the description. I'm sure she has more and might suggest my Dad on his next visit has a look and digs out a few more.  I imagine she has a large selection   I'll keep you posted   Lisette

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